Flag hoisting row: Kasabs of Sindagi deserve stringent punishment

It is official now. Earlier people used to talk about such conspiracy theories in hushed tone. There were not many takers for such “weird” claims. With the media jumping the gun even before the investigation began and the police refusing to look beyond the usual suspects – read Muslims – all such incidents used to provide Sangh Parivar an opportunity to whip up anti-Muslim sentiments. But unfortunately or rather fortunately, their ploy has boomeranged in Sindagi and the “Pakistan flag hoisting” episode has fell flat on their face.

The police have arrested the culprits who hoisted the flag at the Tahsildar’s office in Sindagi in Bijapur district within days of the incident. As expected, the flag-hoisting episode was used to unleash another spell of anti-Muslim frenzy and the protests and the bundhs that followed had an obvious communal tinge to them. Luckily no untoward incident happened in the immediate aftermath. But, the simmering friction could have exploded any time and a Hindu-Muslim riot, as plotted by the vested interests, would have followed sooner than later. However, the swift and impartial investigation by the district police averted any such eventuality. It also exposed the “grand conspiracy” behind the flag-hoisting drama.

It would have come as a surprise for those who have been carried away by the propaganda of the media, but the revelation that the six arrested Sri Rama Sene activists and their unarrested masters, were responsible for the incident was no surprise for those who have the ability to see through the designs of the communal elements. Interestingly, Pramod Mutalik, the chief of the Sene, has tried to pass the blame on to RSS. But one should not forget the fact that only a thin and imaginary line exists between the Sene and the RSS. Mutalik was a darling of the RSS just a decade ago. In fact, there is hardly any difference in their agenda. They have chosen different paths to accomplish their goal, which is converting India into a ‘Hindu Rashtra’ as envisaged by Golwalkar.

The media, especially the Kannada newspapers and channels, had tried to project Sindagi flag-hoisting as the handiwork of the Muslim fundamentalists and attempted to whip up communal frenzy. Some newspapers had even portrayed the miscreants as Pakistani agents without bothering to verify the facts. But, with the arrest of six Rama Sene activists, the real face of Hindutva politics has been unraveled. The very people who raise the bogey of ISI now face the ignominy of carrying out an unpardonable crime against “Bharat Matha”. It will not be a bad idea to investigate the links between the RSS and its affiliates with the dreaded ISI. Because, both ISI and RSS work towards the same goal – dividing India on communal lines by creating mistrust and hatred among Hindus and Muslims of the country.

Sindagi is in fact an eye-opener for all those who have been carried away by the anti-Muslim propaganda of the Hindutva forces and the prejudiced Indian media. This is not the first time that the face of “Hindutva terrorism” has been unmasked. Earlier, the investigations into Malegaon explosion, Makkah Masjid blast, Samjhotha Express blast and a number of other dastardly incidents had exposed the terrorist agenda of the Sangh Parivar. In fact, hundreds of innocent Muslims had been hauled up and put behind the bars in each of these cases without trial until they were let off by the courts. The explosions had added fuel to the anti-Muslim campaign and the largest minority community of the country had to endure the witch-hunt for being “the suspected terrorists”.

This is not the first time that Rama Sene has faced accusations of indulging in subversive activities. Its role in the Malegaon blast had been documented earlier by Tehelka in its investigative report. The needle of suspicion had also pointed towards Pramod Mutalik, with someone sharing his surname getting arrested in the case. The anti-national activities of the so called “patriotic organizations” is even more dangerous than the ones carried out by the cross-border terrorists. The terrorist groups operating from Pakistani soil at least have the honesty of claiming responsibility for the crimes they commit. But the gutless and faceless organizations like Rama Sene, who preach patriotism and cultural nationalism, do not own up and try to fix the blame on Muslims, who are anyway the “usual suspects” in the eyes of the investigators.

It is high time that the two-pronged strategy of the Rama Sene is exposed and stringent action taken against the brains behind the Sindagi incident. Just booking six ordinary footsoldiers will not serve any purpose. The leaders, including Pramod Mutalik, should be booked for treason and declared as people who have waged war against the country. Ironically, those talking about expediting execution of death penalty for Kasab, are now facing charges of treason themselves. The government should ensure stringent punishment to these anti-social elements. This will also go a long way in strengthening the belief in our judicial system and bring the disenchanted Muslim youth back to the mainstream. The investigators should get to the bottom of the issue and also find out if there is a deeper plan behind the Sindagi incident. Although Mutalik’s charges against the RSS and BJP appears to be the result of frustration, the government should also look into this “conspiracy angle”.

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